Can I Get a Refund for My Prepaid Cell Phone?

I bought a Cingular Wireless prepaid cell phone so that my husband, who suffers from congestive heart failure, would always be able to get help in an emergency. Thank goodness he never needed to make that call. His calls rarely went through, even after we bought a special antenna. Cingular agreed to take the phone back, but that was four months ago, and I'm still waiting for the $135.43 refund. Can you help?

— Jan Daley, St. Louis

When we contacted Cingular, a spokeswoman apologized. She says Cingular's St. Louis customers could have problems in some areas. As for the refund, Cingular stated that prepaid phones are not returnable, but since the rep promised you a credit and dropped the ball, the company is sending you $183.60 to cover the cost of the phone, shipping, interest paid on your credit card and the extra minutes you purchased. Prepaid cells sound like a good idea — just load on the minutes as you need them, no contract required. But the service may not be as reliable as a regular cell phone's. (Some prepaid phones can't roam to other carriers' towers like regular wireless phones can.) Our advice: Buy such phones only at a local store, where you can ask about possible difficulties in your area. If you have trouble getting a connection with any cell phone, note the location and time. This way, customer service can determine whether the problem is with your phone or with the service.
— Reshma Memon Yaqub

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